My Only Exception
by Slightly-irish-dragon
Summary: They were both a little bruised, a lot tired and well on their way to being drunk. (Thanks to a mystery mix courtesy of Laf) Neither wanted to face sleep and the nightmares waiting to assault them. So it was that they decided to trade their tragic origin story's.


They were both a little bruised, a lot tired and well on their way to being drunk. (Thanks to a mystery mix courtesy of Laf) Neither wanted to face sleep and the nightmares waiting to assault them. So it was that they decided to trade their tragic origin story's.

"When I was younger I saw my dad cry and curse at the wind. He was broken hearted and I had to watch as he tried to pull himself back together. My mum was gone and was never coming back. I promised myself I'd never fall in love after that. For about a year I had to be the adult, I made sure we ate, cleaned the house and more or less looked after the both of us."

"How old were you?" Carmilla asked. She had seen a lot in her life and was more then a little jaded but children suffering at the hand of those who should protect the was something that always angered her.

"Seven. It got better. Dad got better. He got really protective after that, I don't know if he was scared of losing me too or if its because I look like her and he just didn't want to lose her again but he singed me up for two different self-defence classes plus Krav Maga. I was junior state champion two years in a row." Her smile was half smug, half sad. She was proud of her achievements, she just wished they had come from a better place.

"And the never falling in love bit?"

"Yeah, that. They were soulmates you know. I'm sure of it. And then she died and a big chunk of him died with her. I watched this half man who was once my dad walk and talk but he just stopped living, that's what love is, that's what it does."

"You honestly believe that?"

"I do, yes. All love leads to heartbreak. You brake up, get divorced, cheat, fall out of love or you get to see them die or they get to see you die. There's no such this as happily ever after. Someone always ends up hurting. I don't want to get hurt like that, I don't want to hurt someone like that." They sat in silence for some time then, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Anyway, its your turn now, Carmilla Never Talks About Herself Karnstein. What's your sob story." Laura said shaking herself from her tangled thoughts and wanting to turn the conversation away from her and her beliefs that were maybe, kind of starting to change. But only for this one useless, brooding Vampire.

Carmilla's smile was a broken pain filled thing. "I fell in love once, a long time ago. Mother had warned me time and again that flesh can never love stone. That the intrinsically fickle and ever changing hearts of mortals could never truly love one such as me. But oh she was beautiful and it seems that stone has no problem falling helplessly in love." She laughed then, but it was bitter and angry. "We were going to run away together, to find a safe place where we could live and be happy. Mother found out, of course she did, and had no qualms about gleefully unavailing me for the monster I am. Ell never loved _me,_ how could she. No she loved the idea of me. My apparent beauty, my allure, the thrill of my forbidden love. "

"Yeah I'm guessing lesbian relationships weren't all that accepted back then." Laura interrupted, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the mood. Carmilla just rolled her eyes.

"Once I was revealed to be the monster of her fairytale she wasted no time in helping Mother capture me, and of course that lead to her death." There were tears on her cheeks then but she ignored them and was grateful when Laura did the same. "Seventy years in a coffin gives you a lot of time to think. I worked out fairly quickly that love never lasts, much as you did, though it was my own broken peace's that did the teaching. When I finally broke free I learned to make it on my own, to keep myself, my true self locked away behind so many walls that even I couldn't reach my heart. I've lived like this ever since, keeping everyone at a safe distance. I convinced myself I was content with my loneliness. Because no one was ever worth the rick of losing what was left of myself."

"That…. sounds a lot like past tense." Laura pointed out slowly, carefully, her own heart in her throat.

"Yes well….. I've got a tight grasp of the reality of love Laura but you see, my heart has never been good at following the rules, especially ones made to protect it. I cant seem to stop myself. I know that, eventually you'll leave me and I think this time the loss might end me but…. Well you are the exception to all my rules." There was a moment of stunned silence and then Laura was diving across the room and not so gently wrapping herself around a shocked Carmilla. It was only the vampires reflexes that kept them both from harm.

"You're my only exception too. And on my way to believing that the eventual heartbreak might be worth an eternity of love."

It's hard to kiss someone while you're smiling so wide your cheeks hurt and even harder if you both are. But they had an eternity to practice.


End file.
